The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory, is about how fourteen-year-old Mary Boleyn tries to stay King Henry VIII’s favorite lady. She becomes his mistress, by the will of her family, but falls deeply in love with him. She gives him two children, but because they are not married, their son cannot be heir to the throne. Her older, unmarried sister, Anne, takes over as mistress and convinces the king to annul his marriage with the Queen, Catherine of Aragon in order to bare him a legitimate heir to the throne of England.
About the Author
Philippa Gregory was born on January 9th, 1954 in Kenya. At two years old, her family moved to England where she grew up and attended the University of Sussex, where she studied 17th century literature. She wrote Wideacre, her first serious work in 1987. While many critics claimed they enjoyed Gregory’s writing, some said that the main character was too awful to get over and said that her book was hard to get through. Her newer series, The Tudor Series (2001) and The Cousin’s War Series (2009) are critically acclaimed, and receive high reviews. Some of her works have been controversial for their historical accuracy, especially The Tudor Series.
Mary Boleyn
Characters and Conflict
The main characters in The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory are Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn, and King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn is the King’s first mistress in the book. They fall deeply in love after Henry thinks that his then wife, Catherine of Aragon, will not give him and heir to the throne. At this time, Mary is fourteen and already married to Sir William Carey. It is a known fact in the court that Mary is having an affair with the King. Mary is a shy, obedient girl who tries her best to show everyone in the court that she is better then her sister, Anne. Anne Boleyn is a feisty, headstrong older sister to Mary Boleyn. After Mary gives the King two children, he begins to lose interest in her and Anne steps up to take her place. Anne goes on to convince Henry to annul his marriage with Queen Catherine in order to become queen and give him a legitimate heir. She rules as queen until her execution in 1536. The two sisters acted as foils of each other because Mary is quiet and obedient, while Anne is headstrong and intelligent. King Henry VIII reigned as the King of England from 1509-1547. Fearing that his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was getting older and would not be able to give him a son, Henry sought himself a mistress who may bare him a son. Mary Boleyn caught his eye and the two had a daughter and a son together. Losing interest in Mary, Henry sought after her older sister Anne, and the two were married in 1533.
The conflict in The Other Boleyn Girl revolves around the two sisters fighting for Henry’s love and obeying their family. The Boleyn/Howard family is commanding which girl is to be Henry’s mistress and how the girls should act. This reflects how women were treated at the time. Women were expected to do whatever a man told them to do.
Anne Boleyn
Theme
Sometimes doing what someone says is not always what is best for the situation, sometimes a person needs to do what is best for them.
Style of Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory has a simple writing style that consists of a lot of dialogue. Her books are not very descriptive but they convey the feeling of the characters very well. A review written on Publisher's Weekly said that, "Gregory conveys its claustrophobic, all-consuming nature with consummate skill" (Publisher's Weekly). Gregory understands the way Mary and Anne feel with the way their family, particularly the men, puts pressure on them. Their family expects them to be able to "tame" the King of England and to one day marry him and give him a legitimate heir. She does this perfectly with a great deal of skill. Francine Levitov raves that, "differentiated and tireless...makes the Tudor court with all of its backbiting and intrigue come completely to life. Engrossing" (Levitov). Philippa shows excellently the gossip that takes place in the courts at these times, especially when it comes to Mary and Anne's sister-in-law, Jane Parker. She is the the court gossip and is aware of the family's secrets every step of the way. Publisher's Weekly also commented that, "the self-defeating folly of the quest for power lingers longest in the reader's mind" (Publisher's Weekly). In the end, Anne's story does not turn out as well as Mary's as she becomes the King's favorite in her passion to rule. Anne's headstrong and passionate ways lands her into dangerous trouble, while Mary's timid and obedient qualities keep her safe and happy. Philippa Gregory is a powerful author who can make the reader feel as if they are part of the story.
The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory
Wiki by Rachel MillerAbout the Book
The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory, is about how fourteen-year-old Mary Boleyn tries to stay King Henry VIII’s favorite lady. She becomes his mistress, by the will of her family, but falls deeply in love with him. She gives him two children, but because they are not married, their son cannot be heir to the throne. Her older, unmarried sister, Anne, takes over as mistress and convinces the king to annul his marriage with the Queen, Catherine of Aragon in order to bare him a legitimate heir to the throne of England.
About the Author
Philippa Gregory was born on January 9th, 1954 in Kenya. At two years old, her family moved to England where she grew up and attended the University of Sussex, where she studied 17th century literature. She wrote Wideacre, her first serious work in 1987. While many critics claimed they enjoyed Gregory’s writing, some said that the main character was too awful to get over and said that her book was hard to get through. Her newer series, The Tudor Series (2001) and The Cousin’s War Series (2009) are critically acclaimed, and receive high reviews. Some of her works have been controversial for their historical accuracy, especially The Tudor Series.
Mary Boleyn
Characters and Conflict
The main characters in The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory are Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn, and King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn is the King’s first mistress in the book. They fall deeply in love after Henry thinks that his then wife, Catherine of Aragon, will not give him and heir to the throne. At this time, Mary is fourteen and already married to Sir William Carey. It is a known fact in the court that Mary is having an affair with the King. Mary is a shy, obedient girl who tries her best to show everyone in the court that she is better then her sister, Anne. Anne Boleyn is a feisty, headstrong older sister to Mary Boleyn. After Mary gives the King two children, he begins to lose interest in her and Anne steps up to take her place. Anne goes on to convince Henry to annul his marriage with Queen Catherine in order to become queen and give him a legitimate heir. She rules as queen until her execution in 1536. The two sisters acted as foils of each other because Mary is quiet and obedient, while Anne is headstrong and intelligent. King Henry VIII reigned as the King of England from 1509-1547. Fearing that his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was getting older and would not be able to give him a son, Henry sought himself a mistress who may bare him a son. Mary Boleyn caught his eye and the two had a daughter and a son together. Losing interest in Mary, Henry sought after her older sister Anne, and the two were married in 1533.
The conflict in The Other Boleyn Girl revolves around the two sisters fighting for Henry’s love and obeying their family. The Boleyn/Howard family is commanding which girl is to be Henry’s mistress and how the girls should act. This reflects how women were treated at the time. Women were expected to do whatever a man told them to do.
Anne Boleyn
Theme
Sometimes doing what someone says is not always what is best for the situation, sometimes a person needs to do what is best for them.
Style of Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory has a simple writing style that consists of a lot of dialogue. Her books are not very descriptive but they convey the feeling of the characters very well. A review written on Publisher's Weekly said that, "Gregory conveys its claustrophobic, all-consuming nature with consummate skill" (Publisher's Weekly). Gregory understands the way Mary and Anne feel with the way their family, particularly the men, puts pressure on them. Their family expects them to be able to "tame" the King of England and to one day marry him and give him a legitimate heir. She does this perfectly with a great deal of skill. Francine Levitov raves that, "differentiated and tireless...makes the Tudor court with all of its backbiting and intrigue come completely to life. Engrossing" (Levitov). Philippa shows excellently the gossip that takes place in the courts at these times, especially when it comes to Mary and Anne's sister-in-law, Jane Parker. She is the the court gossip and is aware of the family's secrets every step of the way. Publisher's Weekly also commented that, "the self-defeating folly of the quest for power lingers longest in the reader's mind" (Publisher's Weekly). In the end, Anne's story does not turn out as well as Mary's as she becomes the King's favorite in her passion to rule. Anne's headstrong and passionate ways lands her into dangerous trouble, while Mary's timid and obedient qualities keep her safe and happy. Philippa Gregory is a powerful author who can make the reader feel as if they are part of the story.
The Other Boleyn Girl: Movie Trailer